Go Code Colorado held events with over 900 participants across 5 locations. There were 31 teams that participated in the Challenge Weekend and were given $25,000 each for the top 3 teams. 176 datasets were published through the program. Successful open data applications and analytics use data in combination from multiple sources. The role of a data liaison is important to bridge the gap between data providers and end users by having knowledge of both worlds and helping with tasks like data interpretation and metadata. High quality data portals and catalogs have centralized, predictable, discoverable, non-redundant data with good documentation and metadata to help users understand what the data is, what it contains, how often it is updated and how it was created.

1. ​Go Code Colorado
​and the evolution of the
​Data Liaison
​
​Margaret Spyker
​Xentity Corporation

2. • 900 participants across all events
• 5 locations for Challenge Weekend
• 31 Challenge Weekend teams
• 42 mentors during Mentor Weekend
• $25,000 each to top 3 teams
• 176 datasets published
GO CODE COLORADO - QUICK STATS
@elainemarino
@GoCodeColorado
@webmapacademy

3. APPS AND APPLICATIONS – ALL START WITH DATA
Infographic courtesy of DataSF

4. THE SECRET TO SUCCESSFUL USE OF DATA IS DATA COMBINATION
• Successful Open Data Apps, Strategic Planning, and Metrics Dashboards use Data
*in Combination*
“GOOD” Data identified as being most useful and combining well with
other data based on needs identified by the users

5. ​Mechanism for Feedback
Don’t wait for perfection to publish – utilize
user input to stimulate positive improvements
Users are the best candidates for data
improvement
Keeps data Accurate and Reliable via Data
Curation and Maintenance Automation
Have analysts on-staff and available to help
with Data Interpretation and Good Metadata –
Data Liaisons!
DATA IS AWAYS IN BETA!
FEEDBACK LOOP

6. The Data Liaison
Government data stewards and
secondary end users of data
often live in very different worlds,
without common language or
context for each other’s needs
and desires.
Having staff that’s positioned
between the two worlds, that also
knows enough about each
party’s needs and desires, is
critical to bridging the gap.

7. • Metrics of a Quality Data Portal
The Experience of the Data User
Principals of a Quality Data Catalog:
• Centralized – one stop shop
• Predictable – automated updates
• Easily Discoverable – clear documentation
• No Redundancy – publish once, utilize keywords
• Quality not Quantity – measure in the value of the data not the overall
count or bytes

8. The Experience of the Data User
• What Happens When You Search a Cluttered Data Catalog

9. HOW TO COMBINE DATA – STEP 1: FIND DATA
• The Colorado Information Marketplace data.colorado.gov

10. • How you browse the data matters
The Experience of the Data User – STEP 2: FIND DATA
(THIS IS INTENTIONAL FOR COMEDIC EFFECT)
Looking For Data
You need to know:
• What is it?
• What’s in it?
• When is it
updated?
• How was it made?

11. WHY METADATA DOESN’T SUCK:
THE STUFF YOU WANT TO KNOW ON THE FLY – “WHAT IS IT?”
• Go Code Colorado Brand of Data = good metadata

12. WHY METADATA DOESN’T SUCK:
THE STUFF YOU WANT TO KNOW ON THE FLY – “WHAT’S IN IT?”
• Go Code Colorado Brand of Data = good metadata

13. WHY METADATA DOESN’T SUCK:
THE STUFF YOU WANT TO KNOW ON THE FLY – “WHEN IS IT UPDATED?”
• Go Code Colorado Brand of Data = good metadata

14. WHY METADATA DOESN’T SUCK:
THE STUFF YOU WANT TO KNOW ON THE FLY – “HOW WAS IT MADE?”
• Go Code Colorado Brand of Data = good metadata
Data Provider
Interviews
Create Useful
Descriptions

15. WHY METADATA DOESN’T SUCK:
THE README FOR APIS ON CIM
• ‘I need the specs for my API – Stat!’
• Good thing it’s right there on the Colorado
Information Marketplace
App Keys, Ruby Gems, Field
Descriptions… oh my!

16. ​Why Metadata Doesn’t Suck
​
​Margaret Spyker
​Xentity Corporation